Since it opened in 1934, the Washington Park Arboretum has been home to thousands of plant collections and species, each with a meticulously kept record and history. A computerized database for record keeping was established in the early 1990s but more than 55 years of the earlier records have remained preserved solely on paper, scribbled on grid maps or recorded in countless handwritten notes.

Twenty-five cities across the United States, including Seattle, have banned single-use plastic bags. Disposable packaging made of compostable materials is becoming more and more prevalent. An entire industry of reusable water bottles has risen up in opposition to disposable plastic water bottles.

A study of waste bins at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus revealed that 88 percent of the contents in trash bins could have been recycled or composted. Most – 72 percent – of what didn’t belong in trash bins turned out to be compostable items, such as food, carry-out containers and paper coffee cups.